Game Hens with Honey, Vinegar and Spice Glaze

The sweet, sour and spice combination, is common all over the Mediterranean and is often found in Catalan cuisine, especially with poultry and game birds. Serve this impressive main course with crisp roasted potatoes and a dry white Penedès wine.

Ingredients

8 22-ounce Cornish game hens

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup Sherry wine vinegar or red wine vinegar

1/2 cup honey

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons aniseed

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°F. Remove giblets from game hens. Pat game hens dry. Tie legs of each game hen together to hold shape. Place game hens in large roasting pan. Combine olive oil, Sherry wine vinegar, honey, ground cumin, aniseed and ground cinnamon in heavy medium saucepan. Simmer until mixture thickens slightly, stirring constantly, about 3 minutes. Remove glaze from heat. Brush some of glaze over game hens. Sprinkle game hens generously with salt and pepper. Roast until last drops of juices run clear when thighs are pierced, basting every 10 minutes with glaze, about 55 minutes. Transfer game hens to plates and serve.